Chant



No Model.)

L. H.. MONTROSS.

No. 483,966. Patented Oct. 4,1892.

UNITED STATES r PATENT OEEICE.

LEVI H. MONTROSS, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO CLARKE MER- CHANT,- OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROOF.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,966, dated October 4, 1892.v

Application filed March 12, 1892.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, LEVI H. MONTROSS, a resident of the city and county of Camden, State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Roofs, of which the following is a specification.

` My invention relates to roofs; and it consists of certainimprovements which are full)7 set forth in the following specification and are shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof. l vMore particularly, my invention relates t the coveringfora roof; audit consists of certain improvements in the construction of the roofing-plates and in the arrangement and combination of the same. Y

It is the object of my invention to produce a highly-efficient roof-covering which shall be durable and effective in properly draining the water from the roof and in preventing leakage.

It is also the obj ect of my invention to produce a suitable metallic covering and one that may be easily applied to a building and shall not be affected by climatic changes of temperature, &c.

My improved roong-plates may be formed of copper, which is a metal highly suited for roofing purposes, but is subject to considerable expansion and contraction under the iniiuence of changes of temperature and cannot therefore be employed with satisfactory re- Sults with the usual methods of application, as the changes in the size of the metal pieces from expansion and contraction tend to weaken the fastenings by which they are held to the roof, and this causes leakage and looseness in the roof-covering.

In carrying out my invention I employ roofing-plates,preferably formed of metal, having upwardly-projecting rims or edges by which adjacent plates maybe clamped or fastened together, but with an open portion of greater or less width on one edge of the plate to permit the water to drain therefrom. The construction and arrangement of these plates in forming the roof-covering and their combination with one another are more fully set forth hereinafter.

Inthe drawings,Figurelisaperspectiveview of a portion of a roof embodying my inven- Serial No. 424,626. (No model.)

tion. Fig. 2 is a similar view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the roof. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view on the line l 2 of Fig. 2 on enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3 4 of Fig. 2 on au enlarged scale also, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the roofing members or plates.

A is the frame of the roof, having a pitch or inclination of greater or less degree and provided With the stepped portions or offsets d.

B are the rooting members or plates, which are placed upon the frame of the roof side by side and are adapted to be held to the frame audconnected with one another, as is hereinafter set forth.

The roofing members B are formed with the bottom portion b,which is adapted to rest on the surface of the frame of the roof, and with the upwardly-projecting rims c CZ e and the remaining part f, extending out flat with the bottom b, as is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5.

It will be seen that the roofing plates or members B are approximately likeapan with one of the sides or rims bent out flat. It is immaterial to my invention of what material or in what particular manner these roofiugs, members, or plates are formed. They may be stamped up or cut from flat metal sheets and bent into the desired shape. These plates B are placed side by side upon the surface of the frame A, and by the stepped construction thereof each row of plates will be in different plane from the adjacent row. The side rims of the adjacent plates in the same row are clamped together in any convenient manner, as by lap-seaming, and the iiat portions f of one row are similarly bent over the end edges c of the neXt lower row. Thus each plate B is provided upon three sides with upwardlyprojecting rims, and upon the remaining side or end it is open to the adjacent plate B in the next lower plane, and the water will drain, necessarily, from one plate to the next. In covering the frame of the roof with these plates or members B one of the plates is first placed with its fiat bottom b upon the frame with the upwardly-projecting rim c adjacent to the steps or offsets ct of the next higher portion of the frame. Theside edge d is held to the roof by one or more cleats O, fastened to the roof and bent over the side rim d. (See Fig. 2.) Another plate B is placed beside the first plate with its rims @adjacent to the rim d of the first plate, and these two rims e and d are clamped together by lap-seaming or in any other convenient manner. The other side rim d of the second plate may be similarly held to the roof-frame by cleats C and the next plate B applied, and so on through- 1o out the row. The plates are similarly applied in the next higher row, and the dat portions f thereof are turned over orlap-seamed with the projecting end edges c of the plates in the lower row, as is shown in Fig. 3. The joint thus formed between the edges f ando will be perfectly tight and no water will pass through it, as it drains from one plate Bv to the next. I prefer to form the joints between the adjacent plates B by a standing seam, zo such Vas is shown, or by simply turning the edges in upon one another, as by this means there are no rigid or positive connections between the plates, and they are free to move slightly if there is any expansion or contrac- 2 5 tion of the metal of the plates due to variations of temperature. This construction is particularly desirable when the plates B are formed of copper, since that met-a1 is very sensitive to changes 0f temperature. For 3o similar reasons it is preferable to hold the plates to the frame of the roof by the cleats C, instead of positively fastening them to it. The plates may, however, be positively secured to the frame by riveting or nailing and 3 5 the adjacent edges of the plates may be united in any suitable manner without departing from the invention.

When the plate B is applied to the frame of the roof,` the edge c projects above the off- 4o set a, and it is then bent down and the edge f of the next higher plate is turned over it, as shown in Fig. 3.

The sides and ends of the roof may be finished by suitable strips or pieces D D', secured to the frame and clamped or fastened to the adjacent edges of the plates B upon the side and ends. In Fig. 4 the finishing piece D is shown attached to the side of the frame and turned over the adjacent edges cof 5o the roofing-plates, and in Figs. 2 and 3 the finishing-plate D is shown upon the end of the frame of the roof with the end of the lowermost line of plates B turned over it.

E, Fig. 2, is a fastening plate or piece that may be employed, fastened to the frame A and projecting over the rib formed by the edges of the adjacent plates B B to hold the plates upon the roof. This fastening-plateE may be used with the cleats C or in substitu- 6o tion therefore, or it may be entirely omitted. The completed roof, as will be seen,is formed of the series of plates B B, having their adjacent edges clamped or fastened together and arranged in series located in different planes of elevation with the plates of one series open at one end or edge to the plates of the next series of lower elevation, so that the water may drain from one series of plates to the next lower series. It is not essential to my invention that the entire endf of the plate B shall be bent out flat to form this opening,

.though I prefer this construction, and, if desired, the edge f may be iiattened out and bent over the edge c of the next lower plate through a portion of its width only.

It is not essential to my invention that the plate B shall be rectangular or of any particular 4size or shape; nor do I limit my invention to a number of the said plates when combined in the actual formation of a roof-covering, as my invention includes also thearticle of manufacture, consisting of a single plate adapted for roofing purposes and having the featuresv specified. It is apparent that when suchl plates are manufactured and put upon thev market as articles of manufacture it is immaterial, so far as myinvention is concerned, whether the portion of the edge is bent out or down to form the opening for the passage of water or whether this bending Qut of theI edge shall be left for the roofer to do before applying the plates. In either case the essential features of the invention are present in the pan-shaped plate.

Having now described my invention, whatthe adjacent plates ofthe next row above be-V IOO ing turned down into the plane of its plate and its extremity being bent over the said outwardly-bent portion of the upturned upper edge of the plate of the adjacent row below.

2. A roof consisting of a flat stepped frame and a series of plates having fiat bases seated upon the flat frame with upturned side edges,

ysaid upturned side edges of adjacent plates being butted together and lapped, the upper end edges of the plates being upturned and butted against the adjacent stepped portion of the roof and the adjacent end edges of the lnext row of plates above being lapped over said upturned upper end edges.

3. A roof consisting of a iiatstepped frame and a series of plates having fiat bases seated upon the flat frame with upturned side edges, said upturned side edges of adjacent plates being butted together and lapped, theupper end edges of the plates being upturned and butted against the adjacent stepped portion of the roof and the adjacent end edges of the next row of plates above being lapped over said upturned upper end edges, and in- IIO jacent side edges of adjacent plates.

4. A roof consisting of a flat stepped frame and a series of rooting-plates having ilat bases resting upon said flat frame and arranged in rows,the upper end edges of reach` the plane of the upper portion of the roof ad jacent to the offset, the lower end edges of each row of plates extending beyond the oset portion of the roof and lapping over the.

outwardly bent portion of the upper end edges of the adj acent row of plates upon the adjacent lower portion of the frame.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

LEVI H. MONTROSS. Witnesses:

M. G. THOMAS, ERNEST HOWARD HUNTER. 

